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I thought this might be an interesting thread to start. What are the primary concerns of the average Israeli in this election? Who do you think will do well? What coalitions are likely? What rabbits will Netanyahu pull from his hat to hang on to power?
Haaretz has a link to "build your own coalition" - based on current polling that's kind of fun:
Latest polls: Israel election 2019
Blue and White party and Likud are neck and neck.
Blue and White
It's hard to find a good description of Likud's platform, but this is from 2015 and seems pretty clear:
The party was established to run in the April 2019 Knesset elections by the Israel Resilience Party, Yesh Atid, and Telem, [8] in hopes of defeating the current PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Blue and White defines itself as a pluralistic party representing all citizens on the political and religious spectrums.[9] The phrase "blue and white" refers to the colors of the Israeli flag, and is colloquially used to describe something as being typically Israeli.[10]
The central tenets of the Blue and White party platform include: introducing prime ministerial term limits, barring indicted politicians from serving in the Knesset, amending the Nation-State Law to include Israeli minorities, investing in early education, expanding health care, and re-entering negotiations with the Palestinian Authority for a peace agreement.[11]
Likud
Position in the polls: 22-27
English website: onlythelikud.org.il/home/
Diplomatic platform: Party leader Netanyahu says the next government’s priority must be preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear capability, by turning world opinion in favor of maintaining and expanding economic and diplomatic sanctions against Tehran. The Likud is willing to make compromises for peace – concessions accompanied by real and dependable diplomatic arrangements. But Netanyahu has spoken out against further withdrawals from land, further releases of terrorists from prisons or dividing Jerusalem in any way.
Socioeconomic platform: Calls for a “free market economy with social sensitivity.” Says that to remain competitive in a global market, there is a need for budgetary discipline, lowering taxes, an effectively managed stock market and growth of the private sector. Netanyahu promised on Wednesday that in his next term, he would implement State Comptroller Joseph Shapira’s recommendations for ending the housing crisis and improve benefits for the self-employed.
This is from the April Elections but gives an interesting synopsis of each party:
More than a dozen parties could make the next Knesset. Here’s a short description of each of them.
The front-runners:
Likud, Israel’s right-wing flagship, and Netanyahu’s party, opposes a Palestinian state, supports settlements and encourages privatization in the economy — but its main selling point is the longtime prime minister, who is seeking his fifth term.
Blue and White is a new centrist coalition led by a former military chief of staff, Benny Gantz. It was created to oppose Netanyahu and his alleged corruption.
Supporting actors on the right:
The New Right is kind of like Likud on steroids: Led by the prominent figures Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked, the party staunchly opposes Palestinian statehood and supports settlement growth, and features a very hawkish defense policy — what its platform calls an “iron fist” against Israel’s enemies.
Jewish Home-Jewish Power is the controversial union between a religious Zionist party and a far-right party, also known as Otzma Yehudit, that supports implementing religious law and waging “total war” on Israel’s enemies.
Israel Beiteinu champions the interests of Russian-speaking immigrants, along with a hard-line defense policy that calls for the execution of terrorists.
Kulanu is a center-right party focused on lowering Israel’s high cost of living.
Zehut is an unusual mix: libertarian — and in favor of marijuana legalization — but strongly against Palestinian statehood and Arab-Israeli equality.
Supporting actors on the left:
Labor is the sad trombone of Israeli politics. Once the left-wing flagship and largest party in the country, it’s now an also-ran to Blue and White.
Meretz is about as far left as you can go while remaining Zionist, supporting a Palestinian state alongside Israel along with minority rights and religious pluralism within Israel.
Haredi Orthodox:
United Torah Judaism is the Ashkenazi haredi party — the guys (they’re all guys) who support Orthodox control of Israel’s religious life, oppose mandatory army service for their followers and speak Yiddish.
Shas is the Sephardi haredi party — the guys (again, all guys) who stand for religious traditionalism as well as the rights of Israel’s Mizrahi (Middle Eastern and North African) Jewish population.
Arab Israeli:
Hadash-Taal supports Palestinian statehood and advocates for Israel’s Arab minority.
Balad-Raam supports Israel being a secular state for all its citizens and no longer a Jewish state.
— Ben Sales
I don't get the point of discussing a list from the previous elections,
some parties no longer run as they were or at all.
The updated list:
Likud is the party of PM Netanyahu, the most solid and experienced party on the map, one that governed the state during all the ups and downs of the last decade. Their portfolio is available to examine in the pocket of every Israeli, in the cities and on the roads, north south and Judea.
Everyone who live here are familiar with the situation and the PM, and can reach their own conclusions based first hand experience and personal preference.
Blue and White - a new party of former state apparatus members that gained significant portion of the votes during the last elections Not sure many can say anything clear about their common political platform, other than they're against Netanyhu.
The New Right doesn't run as it was, and to say they "oppose Palestinian statehood is an overstatement in light of the fact that leader of the party proposed their own partition plan.
Ayelet Shaked now is the no1 of the renewed Religious Zionist list.
Yeminah - Joined Religious Zionist List represented by Ayelet Shaked.
Includes members from the Jewish Home, National Unity and the New Right.
Political platform: Jewish education, governance, wholeness of the country and sovereignty,
security and immigration, free market and employee rights, development of the Galilee and the Negev.
Otzmah Yehudit - Jewish Power runs independently, with a clear platform specifically focusing on the wholeness of the country, tougher security measures and reform of judiciary system.
In spite of being pushed to the outskirts for years by the establishment and the media, enjoys loyal support in a variety of public sectors.
Israel Beiteinu is the party of the former Defense minister Avigdor Lieberman, with a solid vote from the older generation of the immigrants from the Soviet Union. This elections the main focus of the political platform was opposition to Netanyahu and the influence of Jewish law in politics and division of land.
Kulanu doesn't run, joined Likud.
Zehut doesn't run, joined Likud
Labor now runs with Gesher, a feminist party, led by 'Amir Peretz.
With a political platform strongly focusing on the Arab voters, reform of the immigration and migration policy, division of land.
Meretz now runs in the Democratic Joint List, led by Nitzan Horowitz, Stav Shafir and Ehud Barak. With a focus on green socialist values, protection for illegal immigrants, division of land and abolition of the Jewish identity of the state.
Torah Judaism - is the orthodox party represented by members of the Ashkenazi Rabbinic courts,Strong focus on education and social programs with minimal involvement in other issues and a solid vote from a large and loyal audience.
Shas - the orthodox party of Rabbi Ovadyah Yosef ztz"l, representing the Sephardic Rabbinic courts. Solid support for Netanyahu with main focus on education, culture, social programs, as well as involvement in a wide range of governance and security issues similar to the religious Zionist camp. Solid vote from both the Orthodox and Zionist camps, as well as the Arab sector.
Hadash- Taal and Balad-Raam - run together in a joined Arab list.
Main and clear focus on PA socialist agenda, led by former adviser of of Yasser Arafat
Division for an Arab nation state, along with abolition of the Jewish national identity in Israel.
Currently experience disaffection from the Arab sector for lagging behind the government in implementing the reforms for which the former assigned vast budgets, while they promote the interests of anyone but their own communities.
What do You mean what are the issues, all the fundamental and sensitive questions of the world, only much more collectively charged and influential on humanity. Kinda like the salad of all worlds problems plus VAT.
I looked for what I could to initiate a discussion. I asked what are the major issues for the electorate in this election because I am curious what the average Israeli is concerned about. That is all.
Congrats! Your efforts bore fruits.
Think answered that as well.
Just wanted to clarify certain things to be up to date, that's all.
I would like to here more from actual Israeli’s.
